1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of testing natural products such as cannabis and cannabinoid products for quality control and quality assurance purposes. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention facilitate a supplier or a consumer of a cannabis and/or cannabinoid product to evaluate the origin, efficacy, potency, and quality of the product. Embodiments of the invention also relate to a cannabis and cannabinoid processing center where samples of the products are analyzed for public safety, quality control and quality assurance purposes.
2. Description of Related Art
Cannabis and cannabinoid products are legally available for human consumption for several purposes, including, but not limited to, medicinal, research and recreational purposes. Undesired and in some cases toxic chemicals, including pesticides and plant growth regulators, tag along with the cannabis products and threaten the health of the consumers. As some cannabis products can be inhaled rather than eaten, any toxins carried by the products have a direct route into the lungs and blood stream of the consumer. Some states have regulations for controlling the environment where the cannabis plants are grown. Most states where cannabis products can be legally obtained, have no means for ensuring that the plants are grown under controlled environments. In addition to natural contamination during growth of the plants, cannabis and cannabinoid products are unscrupulously contaminated by using extracts or dried parts of other plants, glass particles, industrial chemicals, sugar or sand, and other micro contaminants. There are no robust integrated systems to ensure that the cannabis and cannabinoid products are free of chemical and microbiological contamination, and that the product can be traced as the plant is grown, processed into products, and moved to stores for public consumption. Most consumers do not have access to cannabis or cannabinoid products that have been tested for purity by third party validated labs.